


Authiel's Revelation in the Hinterlands

by MinaValkyrie



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, OC backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-11
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-22 07:34:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3720457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaValkyrie/pseuds/MinaValkyrie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Authiel sets out on her first mission to the Hinterlands, it ends badly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Authiel's Revelation in the Hinterlands

The Hinterlands and the sight of the Inquisition scouts were a welcome sight as Authiel, Cassandra, Solas, and Varric walked into the camp. Scout Harding was quick to summarize the situation of the pilgrims in the valley that had been beset upon by rogue mages and Templars both fighting throughout the Hinterlands. Authiel thanked the dwarven scout for her detailed report before sitting down near the campfire to rest.

“Are we not going to go on to meet Mother Giselle? Or at least help the pilgrims?” Cassandra questioned as she took a seat next to Authiel.

“We could rest just an hour or so, don’t you think Seeker?” Varric chided as he sat across from them, and Solas took a seat on the other side of Authiel without speaking. She had always wondered how many elves went without boots on long journeys and had asked some of her elders when she was younger. Acquired taste they had said, and she reckoned it was the same with Solas though she didn’t ask. She preferred her own toes firmly in some armored boots lest she loose them to a sword. Cassandra nudged Authiel, pulling her out of her lazy thoughts but they had been walking for days or weeks or she couldn’t really remember now but long enough that even she was tired.

“I – yes I think we should rest and gather our wits and thoughts, perhaps even freshen up before attempting to gain Mother Giselle to our side. We are not very…welcoming… in our current state.” Authiel motioned to herself and her companions.

“Yes, I suppose that is true. I do not want to dawdle long, we have a mission to complete here and it is…”

“Of the upmost importance, yes Seeker we know. You’ve been prepping Sapphire for the last week.” Varric cut her off quickly, wanting some time to relax himself.

“I would agree with your Herald, Cassandra. She is in no state to address the situation at present.” Solas added softly. Authiel thought the last bit was a jab at her, perhaps since she’d randomly stared at his feet for so long. She never could read him.

So the small group, who had grown much closer in the past week and a half trekking to the Hinterlands, took a much needed break before going on to their mission. Later in the day after Authiel had the bath she’d been craving in a local stream, they met with Mother Giselle and appraised the situation at the crossroads. The pilgrims were victims of senseless violence between the Templars and mages and were in need of herbs, blankets, and food according to the Mother and the few Inquisition forces that were stationed in the area. Cassandra sent a letter via raven back to Leliana that night to get reinforcements to the area and to state that they would be longer in the area than they had thought. Authiel had decided that they would remedy as many of the issues to stabilize the area as they could. Food and herbs were easy enough to acquire, Authiel leading the team on hunting expeditions in the area, and even giving some of the local soldiers tips on where to look for herbs and how to sneak up on certain animals. Within the span of a few days, at least the crossroads had been stabilized enough to move on. It was then that Leliana wrote back that they were to find the horse master in the area and Cullen would be sending troops, so they set out to the north in search of his farm.

The area was alive with the sounds of mages and Templars fighting everywhere around them. They continued walking, careful not to draw attention to themselves but Authiel was uncomfortable.

“How do you…kill them?” Authiel finally broke the silence of their walk, directing her question at Cassandra.

“Kill what?” She replied flatly, arching one of her shapely eyebrows at Authiel.

“…the mages.” Authiel replied quietly, hoping Solas didn’t take offense.

“Like you would anyone else. They are not invincible. They also do not tend to let you get close to them.” Cassandra replied matter-of-factly. “Why is this a question?” Authiel could feel Solas’ eyes on her back as they walked, the air feeling tenser than she’d have preferred.

“I…I’ve never fought a mage.” She finally replied, shooting a glance at Solas as she continued, “In fact before meeting Solas, I’d never fought alongside a mage either.” Even Solas raised an eyebrow at that statement.

“I see. So you would like instruction on how to get close to one then?” Cassandra replied.

“Perhaps it is better if you first teach her how to _defend_ against one Cassandra.” Solas replied dryly. “You must first know how to live long enough to get close to one, I wondered why you had been avoiding a fight with the mages in the area at the crossroads.” Solas was eyeing Authiel with curiosity now. So she turned her head to avoid meeting his eyes, this whole conversation was unnerving.

“You defend against their attacks with your shield, as you would any other attack.” Cassandra simply replied and dropped the subject, likely also feeling the mounting tension.

After that they continued on in silence until they reached the edge of what they assumed were the horse master’s lands. They set up camp, resolving to set out to speak with him the next morning. They even ate in near silence that night, Authiel not wanting to embarrass herself further, and the topic proving a bit too tense between the Seeker and an apostate mage. It would have been completely quiet if Varric had not insisted on telling stories about him and his brother on some grand business ventures. They listened thoughtfully, and all turned in for the night. Authiel remained awake for a while looking at the stars, wondering if she’d be any good facing a mage with the skill that Solas had. She reasoned she would find out sometime soon, regardless of whether she’d want to or not, and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The next several days went by as uneventfully as they could. They had met the horse master, Dennet, who had explained that all manner of creatures were plaguing the farmers and he would not pledge his services until the matter was taken care of. They had hunted wolves, cleared some fade rifts in the area killing the demons that they spawned, and had begun to mark places for watchtowers. They had found the first two locations to mark easily enough, but the third put them in the middle of the battlegrounds for Templars and mages.

Authiel tried to lead her group safely to the last place that had been marked on the map, but she had no such luck. They were beset upon by a group of at least three mages that they could see. She readied her shield and sword and charged them like she would a rogue or a warrior. The first one fell quickly enough, and the now familiar buzz of the shield Solas encased her waned as he sought to fend off one of them. Cassandra was working on the third and Varric was back with Solas holding the one back. Authiel ran to meet Cassandra when she felt her feet chill and looked down to see they had been encased in ice. She turned as best she could to discern who had casted the spell and caught that there were at least three more mages on the crest of the hill behind them. The chill went up her spine as she realized she couldn’t move. Fear gripped her and she steadied her shield against the next blast, the shield itself becoming coated in ice. Cassandra was yelling something as she ran to Authiel and Solas cast something to dispel the ice. Authiel thought quickly and moved with Cassandra to the next target, but lost sight of the other two in the trees. As they felled one mage, Authiel moved towards the next one and didn’t see or hear the blast from behind her. A fireball caught her between the shoulders and she stumbled forward as the blast connected fully with her back. She felt the barrier around her crackle and dissipate, and she went to turn but was not quick enough. The next fireball caught her again, in the same place and searing pain shot through her back and across her shoulders even through her armor. She fell to her knees, vaguely hearing her companions yelling around her. It was then she felt an unfamiliar burning force arc off of her own back with force enough to knock her fully to the ground, a moment later a sickening crack and scream were heard. The pain seared and she reached up to feel even her pauldrons were heated.

Cassandra got to her first kneeling and seeing the steam coming from her, attempted to remove the armor but only succeeded in burning herself.

“Solas, you do something to cool her armor so we can get it off of her!” Cassandra called out, and Solas responded running to Authiel’s side. Authiel, wracked with pain stood and signaled for them to leave her.

“But you are going to burn up!” Cassandra yelled at her, a scowl on her face.

“I will not, and if Solas uses magic on me – near me, he will certainly…” Authiel struggled to get the words out. Varric came up to them next, returning from inspecting the mage that had attacked Authiel.

“Whatever happened, whatever came off of the Herald and struck that mage, it killed him.” Varric said dryly, “I think you’d best keep your distance Chuckles until we can figure this out.” Solas nodded and made his way to the fallen mage to investigate. Authiel stood there, barely, watching the scene play out before her. The pain was hot, like liquid fire on her skin, inside her skin, touching her bones and her veins. It had not reacted like this before, she didn’t know what to do to stop the pain this time. Varric was asking some question she couldn’t make out with the blood pumping so fiercely in her ears and her veins.

“I need a stream…” She finally whispered, and felt the strong shoulders of Cassandra under one arm and Varric under the other as they whisked her somewhere. She was hardly conscious and her vision had blurred. She was not sure how far they went when she felt herself submerge in water. The heat began to recede from her back but a sharp ache remained, crossing her shoulder blades. She had fought too long and slipped into the welcoming arms of the darkness that surrounded her.

***

Authiel awoke in a tent laying on her side, her back ached with every beat of her heart but she forced herself to look around the tent enough to register that her armor and what looked to be the remains of her leather shirt were strewn in the opposite corner from where she laid. A groan escaped her as she tried to recall what happened after she shooed Solas away from her. The memory wasn’t there, just the thought of the pain that had permeated her. She shivered in her bedroll, realizing that she was wearing nothing but leather breeches when a form came into the tent. She sighed when she realized it was Cassandra and felt more at ease with another woman in this state of undress.

“How long have you known what those _things_ on your back are?” Cassandra asked pointedly, eyeing Authiel for a reaction. Authiel attempted to sit up but Cassandra reached out to hold her where she was.

“You are not fit to move. Now, answer the question.” Cassandra’s eyes were as serious as her tone.

“I don’t know what they are… _I_ did not ask for them to be put there.” Authiel explained through shallow breaths.

“Then?”

“What I do know is that the Third in my clan is terrified of me. She had attempted to use some magic directly on them after…” Authiel paused, not wanting to relate that part of the story. “They hurt her whatever they are. After reading that damned book I would think Varric would know more than I do.” She finally finished, staring past Cassandra to her leather shirt full of large burn marks.

“I see. So you think this is related to…”

“I don’t know.” Authiel snapped, cutting her off.

“Well, we’ll ride back to Haven in the morning at any rate.” Cassandra finished, eyeing Authiel her brows knitted in concern. She got up and left the tent, leaving Authiel feeling upset that she had snapped at her but more concerned that there would be more questions, more probing into the how and why of the markings she had across the entirety of her upper back. She dreaded the questions, and hence dreaded the morning, and after wrestling with herself for a while she slipped back into a sleep marked by the pain she still felt.

She hardly remembers the events of the next morning, the pain had returned amidst a nightmare and she had awoken screaming. Cassandra and Varric coming quickly to her and wrapped her in a hastily buttoned shirt and blankets about her shoulders. She vaguely remembered being drug and hefted onto an animal of some kind and tied there. After that the darkness took claim over her again.

***

The sight as they entered Haven was interesting at the least. Three galloping tall Fereleden thoroughbreds came trotting into Haven and a fourth followed lashed to the horse Solas rode. Cullen rushed to Cassandra’s aid as soon as he saw them, working quickly to undo the ropes that held the Herald in place in front of the Seeker.

“She has been unconscious for some time now, it was not safe to have her ride upright.” Cassandra explained, as if an explanation was needed. They had ridden straight through the night and all of them, horses included were worse for the wear. The raven had come only hours before their arrival explaining what little they understood of what happened.

Cullen finally worked the ropes free and slipped the Herald off into his arms, ready for the weight of her this time. She groaned as he held her back and grimaced, but did not wake. He carried her to her quarters and placed her gently on the bed as he had done some weeks before. Guards were posted outside the door to keep all the mages that had come to the Inquisition away for their own safety, until more was understood about Authiel’s condition. Leliana was there beside him, he hadn’t heard her walk in but he had been consumed with the wellbeing of the woman before them.

“An arch of light emitted from her you say?” She asked Varric quietly. “Do you think that this case is similar to the other elf whom you traveled with?”

“It’s hard to say Sister, I’ve never seen anything like it…but the brands have a resemblance, to that of Fenris. At least they glow like his, but his never shot anything out. They did give him other powers though, he was able to control them.” Varric’s voice was gravelly and serious, exhaustion hinging on his words due to their flight back to Haven. Leliana moved towards the bed, and Cullen moved aside not wishing to be in the way. He stared at the light chest falls the Herald now made, laying before them. He realized, now that he was actually looking at her, that her face was covered in sweat and her hair was drenched as well. He looked down at his gloves and they too were wet just from carrying her a short distance.

“We’ll have to get her into some dry clothes so she doesn’t fall ill on top of…whatever else is wrong.” Cullen stated.

“They’ve already been sent for,” Leliana responded now sitting on the bed next to the Herald. “Had you actually inspected them Varric? The brands?”

“Well…no. They’re in a particular place and…” Varric’s voice trailed for a moment. “You know Curly here has seen them before too, he met Fenris in Kirkwall as well.” Cullen turned to face the dwarf and an eyebrow arched at the suggestion he thought he was making.

“I vaguely recall, he was the glowing one that always brooded. The one with white hair?” Cullen questioned, wondering if he actually did recall the elf amongst everything else that happened in Kirkwall. However, the elf had stood out since his look was so devilish and he wielded a two-handed sword.

“That’s the one, perhaps Curly can take over then, I’m beat Sister.” Varric responded and turned back to Leliana who had sat the Herald up and removed the blankets that she had been wrapped in. The linen shirt that remained was soaked through and there was obviously nothing under it. Cullen looked a moment longer than he should have before turning and averting his eyes.

“Couldn’t you let her keep her decency? You could have asked us to leave.” He growled over his shoulder. A light tinge of red filling his cheeks.

“We’re trying to figure out what is wrong with her Commander, and you will stay since you’ve seen this type of thing before.” Leliana replied sternly, as she undressed the Herald and laid her on her stomach on the bed. “There, now there’s nothing undue for you to see.”

Cullen hesitated before he turned around, hoping the blush had faded. It didn’t matter, as he was greeted with the sight of the Herald’s bare back, her muscles tensed and rippling under glowing blue markings that took almost a winged shape stretching over most of her upper back. There was a bold line that ran from the base of her neck down her spine to about the center of her back before it tapered off. To each side the markings blossomed out over her shoulder blades like swirling wings. Below the markings there were four large scars that looked like they were from a bear or something of similar size, trailing down the remainder of her back. The brands pulsed with a blue glow, and Cullen moved closer to her to see better, what they were made of, or how they were applied.

Varric had moved closer too, and now both men stood staring at the brands next to the Herald’s bed. Leliana had since moved from her sitting position to the foot of the bed to make room for them to examine the brands.

“They do look like what Fenris had.” Varric stated, “But, his were finer, or thinner than this, and spread out over his entire body.” Cullen nodded staring. He remained transfixed on her, on the glow, on the sweet lull of the song that the glow held. He felt himself raise a hand to reach out to her.

“Cullen!” Leliana’s sharp tone brought him back to reality, Varric had since left and they were the only ones left there. He dropped his hand and moved quickly away from the Herald, unsure what exactly had just transpired. Leliana moved to his side and touched his arm, further grounding him.

“Are you alright Commander?” She eyed him curiously.

“I- I don’t know. It, the brands, they…feel like Lyrium...” He could still hear the faint song in his head, how could he have not heard it before? How come when he carried her back that night he had not felt or noticed?

“Interesting, perhaps it would be best for you to keep your distance until we get this under control.” Leliana replied in her honey sweet tone and gently led him to the door. He simply followed her until he found himself outside of the Herald’s quarters feeling strange and dumbfounded.

The control that substance still had on him was measurable, and he thought he had been doing better. Apparently he was wrong, and he returned to his duties to push those thoughts away as quickly as he could. He sought to busy himself with reports, picking up a stack and placing them next to his small makeshift desk in his tent. He picked up a quill to start on the first one and noticed then that his thumbprint was emblazoned on the corner report, he pulled off the gloves still damp with her sweat and sat them next to him. It was going to be a long night.

**Author's Note:**

> Wasn't sure how to best introduce this element, I'm not sure I did it well here. There will be more backstory on how she got the brands of course, it's been hinted in all the fics about her.


End file.
